Why Don't You Stop Breaking My Heart?
by funloverrr
Summary: A few months after the accident, Rayna and Deacon are attending the same party. What will happen?


Rayna watches Deacon from across the room. Her heart clenches in her chest as she watches him step closer to his new girlfriend. It was only a few months ago that he was stepping closer to her and pulling her into a sweet kiss. Since the wreck, they have both had their stubborn moments. Neither of them can forgive each other for the pain they have caused. They still need each other but they don't want to need each other anymore. They've tried to keep their distance but when you work in the same industry it's hard to completely avoid each other. It's been hard, very hard. It's been rough on the girls too, especially Maddie.

Tandy steps up beside Rayna and immediately sees what has caught her sister's attention.

"You okay, sweetie?" she asks in concern.

When Rayna turns to look at her, Tandy notices the grief in her eyes. She has seen that look before. Her mind flashes to another time. Rayna is pacing in her living room, tears rolling down her face, scared that Deacon is lying dead in a ditch somewhere. Rayna is crying on the couch, wondering why Deacon can't stop drinking, blaming herself for his most recent binge. Rayna is at her front door, knocking furiously. She is coming to tell her sister that she is pregnant with Deacon's baby, all the while knowing that it means she will have to leave him.

Rayna's response pulls Tandy out of her thoughts.

"No," Rayna says softly.

She doesn't have to say anything else. There is nothing that will make it better.

"Come on, sweetheart," Tandy says as she puts her arm around Rayna's shoulder and pulls her in the other direction. "No reason to torture yourself."

Rayna gives in to Tandy easily. She wants to be taken away. She doesn't want to feel this hurt anymore.

They walk together toward the buffet table. Rayna doesn't feel like eating but at least it will give her something else to concentrate on.

"Rayna!" she hears a male voice call from behind her.

She feels him walk up behind her. He is standing so close to her that she can smell his cologne. It's the same one that Teddy has always used.

"Hey, Jeff," she drawls sweetly as she turns around.

She flashes him a big smile.

"I'm glad I found you," he replies, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.

There is no electricity. She doesn't feel the feeling she gets with Deacon, the feeling that only he can elicit with such a simple touch.

She doesn't let her smile falter. Instead, she smiles wider, hoping that she can pretend long enough that it will become real.

She notices that Tandy has wandered off to find Bucky and for a second she feels a surge of jealousy.

"I want to show you something," Jeff tells her.

Rayna lets him grab her hand and pull her into a corner. He pulls something out of his pocket.

"What's that?" she asks, curiously eying the piece of paper.

"This," he says, holding up the paper for her to see. "This is the hotel room confirmation for a beautiful little room in Mexico."

Mexico. There is only one thing that she associates with Mexico and that is sex, sex with Deacon to be more specific.

"When are you going to Mexico?" she questions.

Jeff smiles brightly at her.

"We're going to Mexico, in three weeks when you have a break from the tour, to celebrate your phenomenal record sales," he responds.

She would rather go anywhere else but she won't let him know that.

"Awesome!" she says as enthusiastically as she can.

* * *

Deacon lets his eyes trail up to where Rayna is standing with Tandy for what feels like the millionth time this evening. People are talking to him but he is barely paying attention. Rayna is wearing a sexy little dress that he can't take his eyes off of. It pisses him off that he is still so attracted to her.

He watches Jeff approach her and suddenly he is pissed for a completely different reason. His eyes follow them as they move towards a corner of the room and the jealousy rages even harder in his chest. He should be the one dragging her into a corner but her lie has ruined it for him.

"Deacon," he hears Megan say.

He turns his attention back toward her.

"Yeah, darlin?" he asks.

"You're being awfully quiet tonight. Is something wrong?" she questions.

"No, not at all. I'm just feeling a little tired," he says.

"Do you want to go home?" she asks him, smiling flirtatiously.

Deacon suddenly remembers all of the times Rayna has asked him the same question at one of these parties. He wishes he could just erase her from his mind but she still somehow manages to consume his thoughts.

"That sounds nice, darlin," he replies. "Lead the way."

She takes his hand and leads him to the door, leads him away from Rayna, away from his pain and anger and hurt.


End file.
